The Penguin Review: Cristin Milioti Makes It ‘The Hangman’
Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
Some of us didn’t really care about how unrecognizable Colin Farrell was as Penguin in the 2022 Robert Pattinson-led Batman movie. Without all the prosthetics, there wasn’t much to note about the character in the film. However, in the 2024 series The Penguin, Farrell takes center stage as the titular character, AKA Oswald Cobb, who does everything he can to climb Gotham’s criminal food chain.
“Looting and rioting have become the norm,combined with the scarcity of illicit drugs, and an increase of gang warfare, the city has reached a boiling point. The murder of longtime mob boss Carmine Falcone outside the iceberg lounge has complicated efforts to restore order, creating a power vacuum in Gotham’s underworld.”
Spanning eight episodes, The Penguin kicks off with a somber breaking news segment detailing a series of explosions tearing through Gotham City, alongside the murder of mob boss Carmine Falcone. Oswald Cobblepot, aka the Penguin, sees an opportunity to take control of the city’s underworld. But with Carmine’s daughter, Sofia Falcone (Cristin Milioti), freshly out of prison and hell-bent on revenge from her father’s lackeys, Oswald’s rise to kingpin status won’t be an easy one.
The cinematography is gritty from the very first frame, and Colin Farrell immediately establishes Oswald Cobb as a slimy, short-tempered, power-hungry thug. But here’s the thing about the Penguin—he always feels like the henchman, no matter how ruthless, bloodthirsty, cunning, or conniving he is. In fact, in Cristin Milioti’s very first scene as Sofia Falcone—the mob boss’s daughter, convicted for murdering several women and dubbed “The Hangman” by the media—she instantly comes across as more intimidating than Oswald, despite his bulky, shadowy presence. As the plot progresses and we see more and more of Sofia, I kept getting more disinterested in The Penguin’s struggle for dominance and needed this show to be about Sofia.
That said, Colin Farrell does a great job as the Penguin, making you forget the layers of makeup and prosthetics beneath the character. In the comic book world, the Penguin is considered one of Batman’s greatest adversaries, and Farrell captures that essence—a criminal you’d never want to root for. He’s a cockroach, a chameleon—resilient, opportunistic, and utterly devoid of scruples. Oswald Cobb’s only weakness? His desperate need to impress his mother, Frances Cobb, played brilliantly by Deirdre O’Connell. To the world, Oswald’s family is presumed dead, but he keeps his mother hidden away in a secret safe house, visiting her regularly to check in and boast about his exploits.
Much of The Penguin revolves around the power struggle in Gotham’s underworld, with Oswald’s primary obstacle being Sofia Falcone, who has her own ambitions of taking over the drug market and claiming her father’s empire. Despite being born with a silver spoon, Sofia’s backstory is far more compelling than Oswald’s, filled with greater hurdles and betrayals. In comparison, Oswald’s rise feels relatively easy and lucky. Cristin Milioti delivers what might be the best performance of her career as Sofia Falcone—stormy, unpredictable, complex, and utterly unhinged.
The only other character that stands out in this series is Victor Aguilar, played entertainingly by Rhenzy Feliz, a young kid from an impoverished Gotham locality, who runs into Oswald at the wrong time, and is forced into becoming his flunkey. Victor transforms from an under-confident, stuttering, scared kid, into Oswald’s second-hand man. Child actor Ryder Allen shines as the young Oswald in the childhood flashbacks—surprisingly, he’s even creepier than the older version.
Overall, The Penguin offers an intriguing glimpse into Gotham’s criminal underbelly, delving into the lives of its many antagonists and the brutal dynamics that govern Batman’s city. The show is steeped in violence, betrayal, and power struggles, but it’s Cristin Milioti’s standout performance as Sofia Falcone that truly elevates the series. Her character’s relentless cycle of betrayal and revenge often makes it feel like the show was crafted more for The Hangman than for the Penguin. The underworld’s bloody scramble for power reaches a gripping climax, with the final episode delivering decisive outcomes and setting the stage for a potential season two.
Rating: 7 on 10. You can stream “The Penguin” on JioCinema.
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